GREEK MYTHOLOGY: HADES TOUR OF THE UNDERWORLD

our ancestors made sense of Reality by telling each other stories of their gods this is our attempt to bring those Tales back to life [Music] um Hades oldest of my brothers Zeus and Poseidon the fourth child of Chronos and rare the mighty Titans before we Olympians when our father fell we took over the universe my brothers bickered for the throne on Olympus while I watched in the end we drew Lots Brash Poseidon Jew first of course halfing and puffing when he received the mighty oceans I got the underworld of course and it was fair for

Zeus had earned his places none of the Olympian gods would be standing in this realm today so I took the duty no one wanted most burden and responsibility Poseidon laughed as I left Olympus I leapt into the skies and transformed into a great Raven floating above the clouds I flew across the land high above the grandmother Gaia the Earth I passed above the grid Chasm that Uranus once dropped the Cyclops and hechatonica is in the place we trapped the Titan Souls after the battle was won the dark tunnel all the way down deep in the

Earth led to tartarers as I looked down into the dark the memory of their souls dropping flashed in my mind but I flew on further and further I swore in the skies until I saw the lake hidden from Mortal eyes there are points on this Earth that open like mouths into my new realm I descend into a cave at the very end and the darkest corner of the jagged stone walls the veiled Between Worlds thins with my Godly eyes I see the shimmering line between Realms a pocket from this material world I will assume the

wall my body was sucked into the shifting Stone and I am transported to a Shore of sand it is darker here the Sands seem more muted compared to the colors of Gaia it's a solemn as if missing something as if washed of life itself the sky is a diluted Gray a look out onto the waters dark and thick they swirl is made of black smoke rather than the liquidityans but I would know these Waters anywhere for we God swore an unbreakable oath upon them they aided Us in the war Titan amaki it is the river

stinks a boat Waits on the shore not far off with a cluster of beings before it and I walk to meet them the woman stood at the head of the welcome party draped in Black flowing robes she spoke before I could utter a word welcome Milo my Lord to Hades it is a pleasure to see you again and under better circumstances the Great River sticks you honor me with your form in coming to greet me it is a privilege to welcome you my Lord it is true I do not personify often but when the occasion

calls for it I can spare some thought to manifest and still continue to do my duties but Hades this is the underworld is it not we named it in your honor my lord for we are grateful that it is you who comes to rule my name synonymous with the Land of the Dead forevermore Mortals will be afraid to even utter my name and the chance it brings them to my Gates quicker I could hear Poseidon's mocking voice itching at the back of my head I smiled at the delicates before me an honor indeed before we

begin my Lord you need no introduction of course for Thanatos a man I knew well stepped forward from the group large Wings parallel to his shoulders he bowed his head we shook hands and exchanged Small Smiles we fought together in the war it was good to see familiar faces in a place so new to me then the next man beside him was skinnier in pale gray robes here longer yeah and a far-off look he shook his head freed of distracting thoughts and bowed lowly to me this is hypnos the god of sleep he sees to

the dreams and the nightmares that plague gods and Mortals alike the next man was smaller than the rest with a long dark Hood drawn over his face the end of a crooked nose peeked out from the Shadows followed by a flowing beard his robes were dirtier than the others the lower section covered in wet Sands the darkness of them seemed to move and shift much like the Shadows of the water in this realm he held a long staff they became thicker towards the end like the order of a boat he bowed just as lowly as

hypnos had [Music] this is keron the fairy man he is charged with carrying mortal souls to our Realm only if they have received the proper burial rights and have the coin brother to both hypnos and Thanatos All Sons of Nyx I shook his hand and the last three on the beach stepped forward three women bowed to me they were clothed in Long Black robes that moved shadowed snakes that moved and rised covered their arms and moved their hair eyes of Fury and Fire their leathery wings that framed each of them this is a lacto maguera

tisiphany the iranies ah the kindly ones you ought to deal out Vengeance and retribution to Mortals that deserve it we share a strong sense of justice and Punishment my ladies I hold great admiration for you all because of it they're called hard gazes softened a Darkness surrounded our group on the beach blocking out all of you with the scenery there was just blackness and the concentrated Shadows I felt waves of power around me my Lord the primordials Nyx and Erebus have come to pay respects they do not tend to enjoy personifying and prefer to avoid

it unless truly necessary thank you great uncle great aunt Your Presence at my welcome is gift enough with that they dissipated as a prime audio God went back to their duties Across the Universe and the realm how would you like to proceed my Lord we are at your command six bowed once more and the rest followed by subjects my friends my family I wish to know how this realm will function each of the roles of the beings of my new kingdom and how I might Aid you in your duties once I know this we can

begin to work together for I wish to lead us as we are all part of a single unit all working together toward a common goal sticks knowledge and held her arm out for me to lead the way I took the party to the boat by the shore Karen took the helm and we sailed out onto the river Stakes beginning our journey as the Mortal Souls weren't my River encircles the entire realm and here we have the transition from my Waters to the river akaran the river of Sorrow his Waters contain the Pains of life he

guards the borders to the underworld itself only Caron can maneuver the rivers here Karen receives a fee for ferrying the spirits yes but if the soul cannot pay if a mortal does not receive the proper burial including a single coin then they may not cross to the Lands Beyond once Immortal dies they become shades spirits that flit between the land of the living and the shores of the Dead these Shades haunt The Living Mortals often to get them to give a proper burial so they may cross but if they still do not they must wander

these Shores forevermore single coin is no great sacrifice or hardship my Lord I watched as Karen looked at the empty Shores when I imagine Souls trapped there viewed first but then hundreds and thousands of tormented shades all wandering the empty Beach which diminished in size as we sailed further and further away they may never cross what if they wandered for a long duration say one thousand years to earn passage across to our lands kieran's Hood nodded once and stick smiled widely we had not considered that option my Lord a fine compromise indeed he passed the

clusters of small Boulders until we came across a large White Rock in the waves the water's currents rushed towards it but Karen guided the boat easily away then we came onto the shores of the underworld itself as we departed from the boat sticks let us to a beach littered with materials lesser deities nymphs and demons of the underworld were all busy amidst Construction as you can see my Lord the perimeter is still underway but once finished this shall be the entry point of mortal souls for we intend large Gates of bright shining adamant to stand

here gods of your choosing shall be appointed to these gates to keep any mortal Souls from leaving for any soul may enter but none may ever leave this is the way of these lands my Lord I imagine a great hound with three hands all the better to keep watch loyal trustworthy eternal The Hound of Hades he had yet to exist but I knew was Cerberus for my family with prophetic gifts told me of him before I left Olympus I looked forward to when I would welcome my new companion I nodded my approval to the group

and sticks let us on provided the souls get to this Shore there are multiple places they might be sent to next all depending on the actions they took in their lives which would you like to see first my Lord how are the souls judge you shall judge them my Lord I did not admit it to them but this caught me off guard for how was I to judge each of them I am a God I could of course but to judge each human when I had not lived on their Earth it seemed cruel they cannot

reach the same level as we how are Almighty near perfect beings meant to judge the actions of such flawed creatures I will never know their struggles to be so small so powerless are decided then I would find Noble and honorable mortal songs that had done extraordinary Deeds that knew the nuances of mortal lies but still could judge what is truly righteous and good three Mortals to judge The Souls of their brethren in time they would come so we walked on these lands are among the largest my Lord for most of the souls we shall receive

shall spend their days here this is the Asphodel Meadows named for the flowers of Asphodel which grow here small stems with clusters of small flowers they give off no scent the ground of this place is covered with sparse grass that appears Gray for no life remains in it and so it appears like ashes when it is but simple grass it is a neutral place for the souls that come here will have done no great Deeds but no bad crimes either they will wander here for eons until their souls are ready to be birthed anew it

is true they are not pleasant but they are not a torment either but I imagine then possibilities for the wandering Souls they would not just wander and wallow in their waiting I would make lessons in these Meadows Souls suffering from lacks and excesses in their eyes they will be given the chance to change to learn and be better in their next life they will be drawn to different parts of the meadows and each will have the opportunity to see if you look over Yonder sire just the left you will spot the fields of mourning this

is to be for the souls who long for love their whole lives only to be met with rejection to never find their love reciprocated they will gather here and be allowed to mourn their losses eternally [Music] but in doing so we place all who seek love together there is hope that the love they never found in life may be found in death not all has lost and as we went on and on through the underworld I realized then all I could do for the good of the universe for the gods and for the Mortal Souls

entrusted to me to your right there over that matter it leads into the river Lethy the river of Oblivion of memory of forgetting one drop of the water and all memory of your life Fades into nothing this my Lord Is How We Shall prepare souls for their new lives on Earth tell me ladies stink where do the rest of the souls go which would you want to know first my Lord the good or the bad the good saves the bad for later we all loaded back into the boat we sailed on a branch of the

Akron river the polygathon the river of flames from the shores of The Meadows to the next land follow me my Lord for Noble Heroes the righteous and honorable and those chosen by the gods themselves are rewarded in this realm and may spend eternity in the Elysian Fields they do not return to earth eventually like those souls in The Meadows of Asphodel they may if they so choose to my Lord but it is rare to choose life once more when met with this paradise the Elysian Fields everything around me brightened bright sunlight Shone on flowers of

every color and shape found on Earth beautiful birds sang Sweet songs an according Breeze carried them there were fruits Meats all manner of foods and wines I felt a levity in my chest with the meadows of asphalale felt heavier not just in my physical body but in my metaphysical soul these Realms affected all from the air to the plants and animals everything felt lighter Here Lady stinks I see now why Mortals would not want to leave this place and yet we are told by 4 some Souls will earn Elysian numerous times and still go back

my Lord because there is an even greater reward than this greater than this take me to this place immediately I wish to see it for myself I mean no insult when I say this my friends but I did not think the underworld could be a place of beauty a misconception my Lord Death is an end Mortals are to be afraid of endings even we Immortals are at times that is beauty in all of life's gifts in beginnings and in ends think of this realm as a New Journey for Souls one of great importance and necessity

come now my Lord and allow me to show you how beautiful your realm Hades can really be we sailed then towards New Islands further off than the last from a distance they did not seem remarkable but as with Elysium when we stepped off the boat it was as if we had stepped past an invisible barrier once through the island itself was bursting with colors like the Elysium Fields there were foods and flowers of every color and kind but here there was something different as I looked around I saw the glitter and Shimmer of an otherworldly

nature there were magical waves of power a Sheen over every inch of this place this isle combined the beauty of the mortal world with the power of the Divine gods every plant and animal was enchanted in some way impossible colors made flowers that Shone like precious metals and gemstones the skies were Vivid blue painted with the softest cows stars who should not be there shining perfectly amongst them made everything agonizingly breathtaking my Lord to the Isle of the Blessed what fortunate Soul shall end up here how may they earn this heaven only those who aren't

Elysian in three lifetimes may be blessed with this realm a reward for lives they have changed inspired helped and saved those who spread goodness throughout the world with no ulterior motive of self-reward those who do what is right just because it is the right thing to do then there are souls which cause damage only spreading vile evil to every life they touch the worst The Mortals can offer they do not deserve the neutrality of the Asphodel Meadows they deserve a punishment to fit the crime but we shall come to their Realms soon come my Lord

there is little left to see [Music] back to the boat we sailed across archaeon but then the dark gray murky Waters transformed the gray became lighter and opaquer it reminded me of smokes Mists and heavy fogs on Earth you have noticed the change my Lord we've transitioned from The River archaeon To The River Lethy the river of forgetfulness it encompasses the lands of Dreams our next destination as he walked from the boat onto the shore of the land of dreams hypnos was immediately called for a small group of nymphs and demons needed guidance hypnos is

occupied with preparations of this land for he is overseer here God of dreams with the help of his demons the only Roy to deliver Dreams and Nightmares to the Mortal Realm Immortals may walk this aisle but mortal Spirits are strictly prohibited for we shall have two gates from this realm to the Mortal Realm one for True dreams and one of false dreams they shall go to the Mortal Realms at night and return here each mourn we left hypnos on this aisle for he was needed by the Lesser deities and onward we sailed over the pale

white waters of laissez into the dark Waters of akaran until it split these Waters rushed faster as we descended further into into the underworld this is the river cockitis my Lord the River of Tears and Lamentations further and further Into the Depths we sail lower and lower until we were in a cavern as I listened I heard faint cries every spash or boat made against the liquid emitted a low whispered whale but that was not an only source a boat thudded against the sand we all filtered onto the shores of pitch black sand the only

thing before us a total war had filled the cave from ground to ceiling but it was not Stone not metal it looked like bronze but I knew this place this is as go this is what happens to the worst of mortal Souls my Lord we are to trap them here the lowest point of Hades technically a realm in itself [Music] my great uncle tatras the place we trapped my father my uncles and cousins a kin after the war sticks waved her hand before the wall and the material morphed flickers of images displaced on the wall

projecting the subjects inside the realm for our eyes The Souls of the Titans as they lay in the bottom of the pit damaged and healed broken and trapped I imagined The Souls of the worst humans tormented by Tartarus and the Titans I knew the extent of their cruelty if they could do such viral acts to Kin what would they do to Mortal Souls even those that deserved punishment this sentence should reflect their crimes and I knew then in that moment what I needed to do we have an understanding Tartarus himself knows the role he must

play a part of this realm the underworld and his duties to you my Lord yet he refused to meet me and speak to me face to face we returned then to the upper levels of Hades I dismissed my counsel and sent them to their respective homes here with one question what can I do as your ruler to help you and yours with that I was alone and so I set to work I forged my place in this realm for the underworld beneath Gaia the Earth has its benefits I took the precious gems and Shining Metals

all found in silos and made my own Palace my brother may have Olympus I need it not my past cannot be found by any unless I wish it so I have something Olympus does not privacy a place to call entirely my own my very own home when the Mortal Souls began to come the work began and has never stopped I did not ask for such responsibility but now I'm glad for it I changed Immortals for the good I hope but the fates of various Mortals in my realm how they were rewarded or punished why are

stories for another time [Music] living mythology is our attempt to bring the stories of our ancestors back to life they explained their Universe through the medium of their religions their gods were not distant beings of academic study they were living breathing entities that reflected the wants needs good and evil in the very heart of humanity we only wish to encourage others to study the deep and Rich cultures of our forebears we hope you have enjoyed our labors if so then do consider liking and subscribing if you wish to support improvement in our endeavor then we

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